The Cabinet of Rutland Council discussed the financial outturn report for 2023/24 and approved several information governance policies during their meeting on Tuesday, 11 June 2024.

Financial Outturn Report

The 2023/24 Financial Outturn Report was presented, detailing the Council's financial performance for the year. The report highlighted an overall forecast underspend of £0.6 million, primarily due to better investment income receipts of £1.4 million, offset by a £1.6 million deficit on the dedicated schools grant. Councillor Johnson noted the proactive financial management that led to £0.7 million in early savings and £1.2 million in one-off savings. However, these were counterbalanced by £3.1 million in additional pressures, including high needs block expenditure, home-to-school transport, and increased supplier costs.

Councillor Smith, Portfolio Holder for Health and Children's Services, elaborated on the pressures related to the dedicated schools grant, which saw a significant overspend due to an increase in Educational Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The Council is leading the Delivering Better Value SEND Improvement Program to address this deficit, aiming to save £0.7 million in 2024/25 and £3.3 million by 2029/30.

Councillor Wise addressed the transport overspend, noting the direct correlation with the rise in EHCPs and the inclusion of transport elements in these plans. Efforts are being made to find efficiencies within the system to reduce overspend.

The Cabinet approved the recommendations to note the outturn position, consider its impact on financial sustainability, approve recommended reserve movements, and note the end-of-year treasury management report.

Review of Information Governance Policies

The Cabinet reviewed and approved the annual updates to four information governance policies: the Data Incident Response Policy, Data Protection Policy, Document Retention and Record Disposal Policy, and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) Policy. The review incorporated changes highlighted by an internal audit and aimed to simplify and streamline the policies. Key updates included clearer responsibilities for data protection, enhanced security measures for staff using social media, and due diligence in document disposal.

The Cabinet also delegated the authority for future annual reviews of these policies to the Audit and Risk Committee, recognising their statutory responsibility for monitoring related reports.

Next Meeting

The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 9 July 2024.